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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24014164">Pretty Boy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stoneburner/pseuds/Stoneburner'>Stoneburner</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Lateral Biography: TURKS ~The Kids Are Alright~ - Nojima Kazushige, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Not Beta Read</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:42:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,744</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24014164</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stoneburner/pseuds/Stoneburner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Is Cloud capable of love?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Leslie Kyle/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>109</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cloud answered the phone on the second ring, "Strife delivery service"</p><p>"I need something delivered."</p><p>Cloud rolled his eyes, "Okay. When and where? How big is it?"</p><p>"Body sized."</p><p>Cloud grew serious, "Okay."</p><p>"Fifth street diner, tomorrow at five."</p><p>"I'll be there." Cloud said.</p><p>The line went dead and Cloud stared at the receiver as he pulled it away from his ear.</p><p>"Another job?" Tifa said.</p><p>"Uh, yeah. Tomorrow."</p><p>Cloud set the phone in the cradle and moved back to sit at the table. He'd been watching Denzel and Marlene work on a puzzle.</p><p>"So, I was thinking..." Tifa said.</p><p>Cloud sighed, "Oh boy."</p><p>"Shush," Tifa said.</p><p>She smacked his arm and continued, "I was thinking that we should have a party."</p><p>Cloud swallowed, "Why?"</p><p>Tifa shrugged one shoulder, "As a moral booster?"</p><p>"We've been busy." Cloud said.</p><p>"Not that busy,"</p><p>"Do whatever you want."</p><p>Tifa sighed, "Will you come?"</p><p>Cloud shrugged, "Probably."</p><p>Tifa smiled, "Alright then."</p><p>Cloud watched her spin on her heal and wander across the room to putter around the bar. As he watched her he felt the lead weight deep in his gut clench. The feeling was getting heavier lately, ever since he stopped sleeping in the church.</p><p>He knew she liked him. He wasn't blind. Still, it didn't matter. He loved Tifa, but he was no longer in love with her. Over time, his puppy love of yore morphed into a lonely wolf. Cloud didn't know if he was even capable of love anymore. Not like when he was younger. It seemed to be fates cruel timing that they were each destined to fall for each other at different times.</p><p>He sighed.</p><p>Marlene reached over and clasped his hand with hers and Cloud looked up at her and favored her a smile. He reached out for a random puzzle piece and started looking for a match since he might as well do something productive.</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Cloud showed up to the fifth street diner on Fenrir, his motorcycle. He pulled to a stop and hoped off before withdrawing two random fusion swords from Fenrir's expandable compartments. The bike resealed itself, while Cloud linked his two swords together. He hooked the fusion sword to his back and started across the street.</p><p>Cloud kept his eyes peeled as he approached the diner. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw an old acquaintance. He gave Leslie a once over. He took in the silver hair and amber eyes, the loud red and black print lining his leather jacket. Cloud smirked when he saw Leslie still wore those stupid short pants. Cloud wondered if it was good or bad thing that Leslie was now in Edge. He wondered why he was there.</p><p>"Leslie," Cloud said.</p><p>"Hiya, Pretty boy."</p><p>"You're my job?"</p><p>Leslie pushed away from the wall he was leaning on and smirked, "Yep."</p><p>"Where's the package?"</p><p>"You're looking at him."</p><p>"You?"</p><p>Leslie grinned, "Yep, I have some business I need to attend to and I'm in need of a bodyguard. I seem to remember that being in your job description."</p><p>Cloud swallowed, staring at Leslie. He recalled Aerith and him running around the Wall market wearing dresses. He blinked out of his memories.</p><p>Leslie continued, "So, how about it? You deliver me to a few jobs and I'll make it worth your while."</p><p>Cloud shifted, "What are you up to?"</p><p>Leslie shrugged, "Little of this, little of that. You in?"</p><p>Cloud glanced around and saw the sun was shining. He knew he had nothing better to do. It was either this or play battle of the wills with Tifa.</p><p>"Where to?"</p><p>"Midgar."</p><p>Cloud almost bit his tongue, "What?"</p><p>"Sector 5 slums."</p><p>Cloud licked his lips, "It's still poisonous from all the mako leaks."</p><p>Leslie rolled his eyes, "I'm not looking to live there."</p><p>"Fine."</p><p>"Alright, let's head out."</p><p>"I'll drive." Cloud said.</p><p>"I was hoping you'd say that."</p><p>Cloud glanced at Leslie, then he focused on the task at hand. He had work - a job. All he had to do was protect Leslie.</p><p>The two stopped in front of the massive black and gold motorcycle.</p><p>"Minerva," Leslie breathed.</p><p>Cloud smirked, "You like it?"</p><p>"Do I? Shit, I love it."</p><p>Cloud looked over at him and Leslie whistled.</p><p>"Damn, that's a hot ride."</p><p>Cloud straddled the bike and pulled his goggles down over his eyes, "Get on."</p><p>Leslie didn’t need to be told twice. </p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p> </p><p>"We're almost there," Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud grunted in response and waited for Leslie to tell him to stop.</p><p>"There," Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud slowed the bike and pulled it over to the side of the road. He parked and took off his goggles while Leslie climbed off. Cloud pulled his sword from the side compartment and placed it on his back as he disembarked.</p><p>"I always wondered how you did that."</p><p>Cloud turned to stare at Leslie, "Did what?"</p><p>"How you keep your sword on your back. It never made sense to me before, but I was inspecting your rig on the way here. I get it now."</p><p>Cloud shifted his weight, "Ah... yeah. Shinra technology."</p><p>"It's pretty cool."</p><p>"We should get moving," Cloud said.</p><p>Leslie swallowed and lifted off his hat. He smoothed his silver hair back and pulled his hat back on. Cloud watched him take a deep breath and reach behind himself to pulled out his handgun.</p><p>"I've got Intel that there's heavy monster activity here. You ready, bodyguard?"</p><p>Cloud gave him a terse nod.</p><p>Leslie took another deep breath, "Right. Let's go."</p><p>Cloud walked alongside Leslie through the rubble with caution. The paths that people made, while trying and failing to rebuild Midgar, were narrow and hazardous. The two of them walked side by side, unless the path tapered inward. If they had to walk single file, Cloud would maneuver himself so that Leslie lagged behind him.</p><p>They wandered through the wreckage and fought random monsters along the way. Leslie kept his distance in the fights, knowing his own limits. He'd only fire his gun if he had a clear shot and for that Cloud was grateful.</p><p>Cloud stood front and center in the action. He was efficient with his sword and the fights never took long. After each battle, he'd make sure Leslie was okay; and it was during those times that Cloud's heart felt light. He realized how much he missed the fighting. How much he missed the exhilaration he felt while fighting.</p><p>The thrill of killing monsters created a sense of accomplishment within him. Something he didn't get from laymen work. He found himself filled with feelings he hadn't know were missing. He loved it. He loved fighting monsters.</p><p>Leslie asked Cloud to help him move a busted old Shinra machine out of the way to reveal a doorway. They entered the room beyond and Cloud recognized it as the old dilapidated inn. They moved through the broken halls together. Paying close attention as they moved under broken ceiling beams. They entered the furthest back room and Cloud watched Leslie pull on a charred wall sconce. It turned out to be a lever. The mechanism within the book shelf sounded as if it released, but the book shelf didn't move.</p><p>"Shit," Leslie said.</p><p>He moved to the side of the bookshelf to push it. It budged a smidgen, but didn't give.</p><p>"Come give me a hand, will ya?"</p><p>Cloud sighed and approached Leslie. He squished in close to him and pressed his shoulder against the shelf. They pushed together until the shelf started to move, revealing a secret doorway. Leslie ducked in, followed by Cloud, and the two of them stood blind within the darkness.</p><p>Cloud blinked against the light when Leslie lit a match.</p><p>Leslie moved around the small room and found a candlestick. He lit the wick with his match just as it run out. In the dim candle light, Cloud watched Leslie suck his fingertips into his mouth.</p><p>"Jackpot," Leslie said as he wiped his wet hand on his pants.</p><p>Cloud watched him approach an old locked chest. Leslie entered a combination and the lock sprung open. He withdrew a few orbs of materia and looked up at Cloud. "You need any of these?"</p><p>Cloud scanned the materia and looked into Leslie's amber eyes. He shook his head.</p><p>Leslie pocketed the materia and then withdrew a satchel full of Gil. He stuffed it in his pocket and then stood up and looked around to make sure he didn't miss anything. He nodded to Cloud. "Let's go."</p><p>Cloud exited the secret alcove and Leslie followed him.</p><p>Leslie dropped the candlestick on some rubble and it wicked out.</p><p>"Where to next?" Cloud said.</p><p>"Corneo's mansion."</p><p>Mute, Cloud stared at Leslie.</p><p>"If we're quick, we can hit the third cache before it gets dark." Leslie said.</p><p>They walked back to Cloud's bike and then Cloud drove them towards Wall Market.</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Cloud drove Fenrir over the bridge and right up to the Don's front door. Cloud stared at the old broken down mansion as he waited for Leslie to hop off the back of the bike. The broken down building was still gody and opulent. It was one of the least damaged structures.</p><p>"I thought it would be worse," Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud stayed silent as he followed him inside. Nostalgia cloaked him as he recalled his previous times there. Time's when Aerith was still alive.</p><p>"Over here," Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud blinked back to present and saw the other man removing a barricade in front of a door. Cloud moved to help him and soon they uncovered a room. Cloud entered, with Leslie a step behind him, and the two looked around. He watched Leslie move forward and kick up a rug.</p><p>"Another trap door?" Cloud said.</p><p>Leslie moved across the room and shrugged, "What can I say, Don had a thing for them."</p><p>"This go to the sewers?"</p><p>Leslie shook his head, "No. It's an old wine cellar. It should have some goodies in it, though."</p><p>Cloud nodded and watched the other man move around the room. He assumed Leslie was looking for a switch, so he shifted his attention to look for one as well.</p><p>"Ah-ha!" Leslie said.</p><p>The trap door sprung open and Cloud turned to see Leslie move towards it. Cloud approached and peeked down into the darkness below.</p><p>"Hmm," Leslie said as he rubbed his chin.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"I used my last match at the last place."</p><p>Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue crystal and handed it to Leslie.</p><p>"And just what am I supposed to do with this, Hero?"</p><p>Cloud snorted, "Focus on it. It'll give you light."</p><p>Leslie stared at the small blue crystal in his hand and it didn't turn on. He closed his eyes and tried to mentally make the crystal light up. It didn't turn on.</p><p>"It's broken," He said.</p><p>Cloud shook his head, "Here,"</p><p>He took back the crystal and focused as he would when conjuring a fire spell. Seconds later the blue stone shone a soft blue light over them both.</p><p>Cloud passed the lit crystal back to Leslie and reached into his pocket to pull out another. He focused on the small crystal, it lit up, and he tossed it down into the darkness below them. He turned to Leslie, "After you".</p><p>Their eyes locked, both of them covered in a blue hue. Leslie looked down with a small grin, "Show off."</p><p>Cloud smirked and followed Leslie down into the wine cellar. When he got off the ladder, Cloud saw Leslie had picked up a gun blade.</p><p>"Holy shit! How cool is this?"</p><p>Cloud nodded, "Very cool."</p><p>Leslie grinned at him. He held the light crystal in one hand and was aiming the gun blade like a gun with the other. Cloud watched him stare down the length of the blade.</p><p>"You gonna start using that?" Cloud said.</p><p>"Maybe... I dunno."</p><p>"Why not?" Cloud said.</p><p>"Think I could?"</p><p>"There's nothing stopping you,"</p><p>Leslie stared at Cloud and tilted his head to the side. His silver hair fell into his yellow eyes, "Thanks,"</p><p>"Don't mention it."</p><p>Cloud turned away and looked over at a large apothecary cabinet. Curious, he started opening drawers. He glanced back every once and a while to check on Leslie, but otherwise he kept searching for anything valuable. It was in a drawer four rows down and three rows across that Cloud found something.</p><p>He picked up a ring and inspected it. He put his hand in his pocket, grabbed his sensing materia, and focused on the ring. He was able to tell that it had a minute shard of Carbuncle in it. Cloud glanced back at Leslie to see him rooting around in crates on the other side of the room. He clutched the ring in his fist as he continued searching through the cabinet.</p><p>Not finding anything else of interest, Cloud wandered over to Leslie and handed him the ring.</p><p>Leslie accepted the ring from Cloud's palm, "What this?"</p><p>"A ring of reflect." Cloud said.</p><p>"You want it?"</p><p>Cloud shook his head and watched as Leslie slid the ring onto his non-gloved hand.</p><p>"What about these?" Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud saw Leslie hold out a box of Sources. He blinked as he scanned them. There was one of every kind. Power, Luck, Guard, Speed, Magic, and Mind. If he was honest, he wanted them all. He knew they would make him better, faster and stronger. Instead, he looked into Leslie's eyes and said, "You should use them,"</p><p>Leslie looked at him and then riffled through the box. He selected a few and then passed the rest to Cloud. "We'll share."</p><p>Cloud shrugged and grabbed his half out of the box. He inspected them as he took them. Leslie left him with the Power, Guard and Magic Sources. He took the Power Source and Guard Source but then handed the Magic Source back to Leslie.</p><p>"You should use this,” He said, “since you can't light the crystal."</p><p>Leslie glared at Cloud and grabbed the Magic Source out of his hand, "Wow. Low blow, Pretty boy."</p><p>"What?" Cloud said.</p><p>Cloud hadn't meant to offend him.</p><p>Leslie took the Magic Source and started looking around again. Cloud remained silent, as he watched him.</p><p>"Alright, I guess this place is empty. Ready?" Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud nodded and reached down to the floor to pick up the illuminated blue crystal. He waited for Leslie to finish climbing up the ladder before he turned the crystal off and put it in his pocket.</p><p>Cloud climbed the ladder and when he made it up to the top he saw Leslie waiting.</p><p>"Here," Leslie said.</p><p>He held out the blue gem in his gloved hand.</p><p>"Keep it," Cloud said, "Er..."</p><p>Cloud stepped forward and placed his hand over the crystal in Leslie's open palm. Both of them were wearing gloves, and the leather caught on leather making a noise. Cloud pushed his focus into the crystal and watched the light wink out. He then looked up into Leslie's wide yellow eyes before he pulled his hand away.</p><p>The two stood staring at one another in stoic silence until Cloud moved toward the door.</p><p>"Where to next?"</p><p>Leslie pocketed the blue crystal, "Honey Bee Inn."</p><p>Cloud gulped.</p><p>The two walked back to the bike and climbed on. Cloud was pulling his goggles down over his eyes when he felt Leslie wrap his arms around his waist. Cloud froze and blinked through the shock. The last two rides, Leslie had held on to the bike some other way.</p><p>Cloud took a deep breath and gripped the handlebars as he tried to force himself to relax. He wasn't used to people touching him.</p><p>Cloud revved the throttle and spun Fenrir's tires to turn the bike around. The inertia caused Leslie to shift closer to him and Cloud couldn’t get over how strange it felt to have someone so close to him. The only contact he received lately came from the children. Innocent little beings that didn't care how sharp all Cloud's edges were.</p><p>Cloud tried to clear his mind and focus on the job as he drove through town.</p><p>They parked before the stairs heading down to the Honey Bee Inn and decided to walk the rest of the way.</p><p>The monster activity was thicker. Cloud ended up killing swaths of monsters as they approached the front of the Inn. Leslie helped out, but Cloud wouldn't tell him how little it actually helped.</p><p>Once they made it inside, and the monsters were less frequent, Cloud perched himself on an old broken down couch. He needed a breather. The ruins of the Honey Bee Inn were mostly intact, and Cloud found himself glancing around, recalling memories.</p><p>Cloud realized Leslie was staring at him and it unnerved him, "What?"</p><p>"You were really great out there."</p><p>Cloud smirked, "Heh. Thanks,"</p><p>Leslie grinned at him and the two locked eyes.</p><p>Cloud broke the stare and glanced down at the floor. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a potion. He drank it back, despite not fully needing it.</p><p>Leslie stood in the center of the room, slashing the air in front of him with his new gun blade. He looked over at Cloud and watched him stand up from his seat.</p><p>"Here," Cloud said, "Hold it like this. The gun blade is more of a sword then a gun." Cloud said.</p><p>He moved behind Leslie and shifted his grip on the hilt of the gun blade. He kicked Leslie's boots apart, to widen his stance, and then manipulated his body to show him how to use a sword.</p><p>"Like this?" Leslie said</p><p>Cloud watched him repeat the motions, "Yeah."</p><p>Wearing a grin on his face, Leslie turned to say something, but the ceiling fell in on them.</p><p>A moment of chaotic momentum, and then silence.</p><p>Cloud coughed up dust as he scrambled to stand up. He looked around for Leslie and didn't see him. He lifted the rubble around him and found a leather boot. He hurried to uncover the rest of Leslie and then cast a cura spell on him.</p><p>Leslie opened his eyes, "Dammit."</p><p>"Are you hurt?"</p><p>Leslie shook his head and tried to push himself up, "I don't think so."</p><p>Cloud helped him up and Leslie brushed himself off and rubbed his head.</p><p>"God damn. I'm gonna have a hell of a headache later,"</p><p>Cloud looked around, "We should get out of here. What are you looking for?"</p><p>Leslie took a step forward and his ankle gave way. He fell forward against Cloud's chest.</p><p>Cloud caught him, "Whoa,"</p><p>"Shit," Leslie said, "...Guess I am hurt."</p><p>He steadied his weight on his unhurt foot and glanced around. He saw something to sit down on and he hobbled over to it. Leslie gingerly sat down and winced as his ankle throbbed, "Fuck... Okay, you'll have to go."</p><p>"Where?"</p><p>"Andres' old rooms. There's a huge walk in closet... Inside, there's another trap door. Yeah, yeah, I know... Open the trap door with a picture on the wall. There should be a button. I was told there should be some elixirs, turbo ethers and materia in there. There's also a safe with Gil inside. Or there should be... Grab whatever you can and then come find me."</p><p>Cloud nodded, "You'll be fine here alone?"</p><p>Leslie grinned and produced his gun and gunblade, "Yup. The safe's code is 657."</p><p>Cloud nodded, "Right."</p><p>He turned around and started over the rubble to walk deeper into the Honey Bee Inn.</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Cloud slashed his way through the monsters in the inner sanctum of the inn. There weren't many of them. He followed Leslie's instructions to the tee and returned for him laden with loot. He was almost there when he heard him holler.</p><p>Cloud sprinted around the corner in time to see Leslie throw a malotov and lash out with his gun blade. Leslie was sitting in the same spot Cloud left him in, only now there was a demon dog snarling and snapping at him.</p><p>Cloud readied his sword to step in, and saw he was too late to stop the demonic dog from casting fire at Leslie. Cloud cursed himself for not having his cover materia equipped. He opened his mouth to shout "No!" but stopped himself as he watched the fire reflect off of Leslie and burn the dog. The dog yelped and Cloud stepped forward and cleaved the demon dog in half.</p><p>"You alright?" Cloud said.</p><p>Leslie's wide eyes stared up at Cloud and then he looked down at the ring he wore. His mouth hung open, but he closed it when he looked back up at Cloud.</p><p>"Holy shit!"</p><p>Cloud smiled and offered him a hand up, "Pretty cool, huh?"</p><p>"Hell yeah!" Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud made to move away from Leslie, but the other man held on. Cloud sighed and slung Leslie's arm around his shoulder to help him walk back to the bike. The gun blade bumped against his arm, with every step, but Cloud didn't mind. The cool metal felt refreshing.</p><p>"How long do you think that blade is?" He said.</p><p>"Not as big as yours," Leslie replied.</p><p>Cloud looked at him and saw he wore a smile, "What's so funny?"</p><p>"Are we really measuring swords here?"</p><p>Cloud blushed, "Oh, shut up."</p><p>They walked the rest of the way to the bike in silence, with little interruption. Cloud didn't know if he was happy or sad that the fighting was over. He sat on his bike, sheathing his sword in the side compartment and waited for Leslie to climb on the bike behind him.</p><p>"Ready?" Cloud said.</p><p>Leslie nodded and adjusted his hat, "Yep."</p><p>Cloud clenched his teeth as Leslie reach around his waist and clasped his hands around him. He felt a little zing in his stomach, and he looked down at the invasive hands before he looked back up at the rubble ridden roadway. Cloud gripped the throttle and accelerated. Leslie gripped him tighter and pressed up against his back as the two travelled out of Midgar.</p><p>When they approached Edge, Cloud slowed the bike and called over his shoulder, "Where are you staying?"</p><p>"The diner on Fifth."</p><p>"You sleep there?" Cloud said.</p><p>"Wouldn't you like to know?"</p><p>Cloud suppressed a shivered as Leslie spoke straight into his ear. He blinked to clear his thoughts and then sped the bike back up. He steered towards the diner and parked in front of it to drop Leslie off. Cloud lifted his goggles and watched Leslie hobble a few painful steps away from the bike.</p><p>"Here," Cloud said.</p><p>He held out the bounty he'd found in Andres' closet.</p><p>"Keep it for a job well done," Leslie said, "Meet me here the same time tomorrow?"</p><p>Cloud stared at Leslie as he pocketed the money. He nodded.</p><p>Leslie spun around and gave a little wave over his shoulder, "See ya, pretty boy,"</p><p>Cloud watched Leslie hobble off towards the diner as he sat back in his seat and lowered his goggles. He wondered why Leslie kept calling him that. Taking one last look at the diner, Cloud started home.</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p> </p><p>"You're late," Leslie said as Cloud pulled the motorcycle to a stop in front of him.</p><p>"Then let's not to waste time talking about it." Cloud said, "Get on."</p><p>Leslie raised an eyebrow but stepped closer. He climbed on the back of the bike and put his arms around Cloud. "We're heading to Kalm," He said.</p><p>Cloud nodded and took off. Leslie clutched him tighter but relaxed during the ride.</p><p>When they arrived in Kalm, Leslie learned that the guy he was meeting was going to be late, so they wandered the shops to kill time. After a while, though, both of them grew bored and Leslie decided to purchase a room at the inn so they could relax while waiting.</p><p>Cloud paced the room while Leslie lay down on one of the beds.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud stopped pacing and sighed. He lay down on the other bed and put his hands behind his head.</p><p>"Nothing... just... restless, I guess."</p><p>"Well... there won't be much action today, with any luck."</p><p>Cloud turned his head and saw Leslie staring at him. He squinted at him. "Sorry for being late."</p><p>Leslie waved it away, "It's fine."</p><p>Cloud stayed silent as he stared into Leslie's golden gaze.</p><p>"Anyone ever tell you that you have the most amazing eyes?"</p><p>Cloud blinked, wondering if he'd spoken out loud, "What?"</p><p>Leslie smiled. He had his lolled his head to the side as he stared at Cloud. They lay in the exact same position, opposite each other.</p><p>"Oh... Right... It's from the mako." Cloud said.</p><p>"No..." Leslie murmured, "There's yellow in them."</p><p>Cloud blinked, "What? Like yours? Your eyes are electric."</p><p>Leslie gave Cloud a funny look, "Electric? Like Shinra? Ew!"</p><p>Cloud snorted, "No, not like Shinra."</p><p>"Well, good. Way to play with my heartstrings there pretty boy... So, electric huh?"</p><p>Cloud felt his face heat up and he shrugged. "Yeah. Less Shinra, More lightning."</p><p>Cloud felt foolish, and he rolled his eyes at himself. He tilted his head back so he could stare at the ceiling.</p><p>"Huh, electric..." Leslie said, "Never heard that before."</p><p>Cloud glanced over at Leslie and then sat up and reached for his sword. He plucked out the lightning materia from it and knelt down between the beds. He held the yellow materia next to Leslie's face. "Like I said... Electric."</p><p>Cloud moved to pull his hand back but Leslie grabbed his wrist. He snagged the materia from his hand then let Cloud go while he inspected it. Cloud rescinded his arm, shifted his body, and sat back down on the edge of the bed.</p><p>"I've never held Lightning materia before." Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud squinted at him. He had so many of them piling up at home they were becoming a nuisance. "Keep it."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Keep it. It's leveled." Cloud said.</p><p>"You can't be serious." Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud shrugged, "It'll be good magic practice for you."</p><p>Leslie shot a glare at Cloud and then stuffed the yellow orb into his pocket, "You still on about that?"</p><p>Cloud laughed, "I'm not saying you're bad at magic, Leslie."</p><p>Leslie smiled when Cloud said his name. He adjusted his hat, "Yeah, well, thanks. I'll fiddle with it later."</p><p>Cloud grunted and shifted back to lay on the bed. He stared at the roof as they relaxed in a comfortable silence.</p><p>Cloud turned his head to look at Leslie, "If you need help with it..."</p><p>Leslie nodded, "Oh, uh, thanks."</p><p>The two chatted while they waited for Leslie's informant. During their talk, Cloud found out Leslie's age, and learned even though he was young, he'd seen a lot of things. Much like Cloud, Leslie had a lot of stories. The difference between them was that Leslie actually wanted to talk about his.</p><p>Cloud wiped tears from his eyes, from laughing too hard, while Leslie regaled him with a hilarious tale about Corneo and a horse. Cloud couldn't remember ever laughing so hard. The two got along great in the inn's carefree atmosphere. Everything felt so easy between them and Cloud found himself enjoying Leslie's company.</p><p>That was, except when Leslie flirted with him. In those times, Cloud said nothing. He didn't understand where it was coming from. Didn't Leslie have a fiancee named Merle? Cloud was curious if Leslie ever ended up finding Merle. Then he'd figure it wasn't his business and forced himself to forget about it.</p><p>When there was a knock at the door. Leslie answered it.</p><p>"Rouel!" He said.</p><p>"Leslie,"</p><p>Leslie reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred Gil. He handed it to the newcomer, while Cloud watched them interact from his place on the bed.</p><p>Rouel was large and gruff, but his demeanor appeared soft and kindhearted. He said hello to Cloud, who responded with a nod.</p><p>When he was gone, Leslie closed the door, “Looks like were going to Astrakhan!"</p><p>"Astrakhan?"</p><p>"It's a small backwater place. You've never heard of it."</p><p>Cloud nodded, "Nope."</p><p>"Ready to go?"</p><p>Cloud grabbed his sword and nodded.</p><p>Leslie instructed Cloud to drive them out to the forest. Once there, Leslie would direct him. During the drive, while Leslie held on to him, Cloud realized the feeling of having someone so close to him was starting to feel more familiar. He liked the warmth against his back. It still irked him, though, when Leslie would grab his belt for security while pointing with his other hand.</p><p>Cloud followed Leslie's directions and ended up driving into a small backwater town. The sign said "Astrakhan" and Cloud now knew why he'd never heard of the place before. It was tiny. He also knew that he'd never be coming back.</p><p>Leslie pointed him towards a shack and Cloud parked them before it. They both got off the bike and when Cloud grabbed his fusion sword, Leslie nodded. "Not a bad idea."</p><p>The two wander up to the building and enter the front door. It was a normal residential home with a fire burning in the hearth. Cloud scanned the interior as Leslie wandered further inside and up the stairway. Cloud followed behind him.</p><p>"He-llo!" Leslie called out as he wandered up the steps.</p><p>There was the sound of a creak in the upper floor and Leslie rushed up the steps with Cloud hot on his heels.</p><p>The two ended up finding nothing. The house was completely devoid of people.</p><p>Leslie swore as he looked around, then he stilled as he saw a large beige crate. He wandered over to it and tried to pry the top off.</p><p>Cloud stepped forward, pulled his sword out and cracked the top of the crate off for him. Leslie gave him a look, and Cloud shrugged and turned away.</p><p>Leslie started swearing again and Cloud shifted closer to look inside the crate. It was a shipment of Carob and Zeio Nuts. Only a handful of them laid among rocks in a swath of Gysahl Greens. Cloud deduced from the contents of the crate that Leslie was trying to breed chocobos. He wondered what the rocks were for.</p><p>Leslie sighed, as Cloud watched him. He grabbed all the nuts from the crate and stuffed them into his pants pockets.</p><p>Leslie growled under his breath, "Those motherfuckers..."</p><p>"Huh?" Cloud said.</p><p>Leslie turned his amber eyes on him, "They ripped me off."</p><p>Cloud stared at him and Leslie returned the stare as he stuffed a handful of Gysahl Greens into his pocket. "Let's get out of here."</p><p>Cloud walked with Leslie back to Fenrir and climbed on. He put his goggles on but didn't pull them down as Leslie wrapped his arms around him. Cloud turned back to look at him, "Where to next?"</p><p>"Edge,"</p><p>"We done?"</p><p>Leslie shook his head, "Not by a long shot."</p><p>Cloud stared at him before he shrugged, lowered his goggles, and took off.</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Cloud sucked in a sharp breath as Leslie grabbed hold of his belt. He'd done so to stabilize himself while he held his other hand out to point at an upcoming crossroads. Cloud followed his directions while trying not to focus on the hands re-circling his waist.</p><p>Cloud slowed to a stop outside of a large industrial building. The two of them got off the bike and readied their weapons.</p><p>"This won't be pretty." Leslie said, as they approach the building.</p><p>Cloud looked at Leslie, pulled open the door for him, and entered the building after him. As soon as they were in, Leslie shot someone and Cloud fell into his fighting stance as the battle was on.</p><p>Cloud reflected incoming bullets with his sword as he covered Leslie and shoved him behind a support column. When he was safe, Cloud moved back towards the enemy. He hacked and slashed and sprang around the room like a jaguar. He was just about to cast fire when someone threw something at him and he saw red.</p><p>Cloud's blue eyes glazed over with a signature sanguine red. Leslie gulped as he watched him go berserk. He pressed himself as close to the column as he could to kept himself hidden as he watched the massacre unfold. His mouth hung open in shock, as he watched steam rise from Cloud's head. Cloud didn't look angry, he looked enraged and frenzied.</p><p>The battle was over fast and Leslie winced as all noise stopped. He peeked around the column and watched as Cloud stood seething. He was completely covered in blood and the bodies laid around him in a corona.</p><p>Cloud's red eyes jumped to his and Leslie gulped. He'd never seen Cloud look like that before. He knew the blond was berserk, but he had no remedy on him. Leslie reached into his pocket and fumbled through his potions hoping upon hope that there might be a remedy in there. He kept his eyes locked with Cloud, afraid for his life.</p><p>Cloud raised his sword and Leslie panicked, "Shit!"</p><p>Leslie withdrew his hand from his pocket as Cloud lunged forward. He threw up his gun blade to try to block the incoming sword. The force of the blow knocked him backwards onto his ass and Leslie hit his head on a nearby crate. He watched dazed as Cloud approached him.</p><p>The blond had a menacing look in his eyes and Leslie scrambled backwards like a crab into the wall and started pulling crap out of his pockets. He threw everything he could at Cloud. He threw potions and hypers, his money satchel, even the lightning materia. The yellow orb struck the blond in the head, and Leslie winced as he saw Cloud's seething face loom closer.</p><p>Leslie reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of Chocobo nuts. He feebly threw them as he squeezed his eyes shut and held the gun blade up. He waited for the massive sword to come down and end his life, but it didn’t come.</p><p>After a moment, Leslie peaked open his yellow eyes. "Huh?"</p><p>Cloud stood staring down the length of his sword at him. The eyes that shone back at Leslie were once again mako blue.</p><p>Leslie let out a breath and became a limp noodle. He chuckled as he relaxed and held his hand against his heart. He watched as Cloud blinked in confusion.</p><p>"Fuckin' hell!" Leslie said, "I though that was it."</p><p>Cloud pulled his sword back and hooked it on his back. Something wet dripped down his arm but he ignored it as he continued to stare at Leslie.</p><p>Cloud glanced around and took in the myriad of bodies surrounding them. He didn't recall doing it, so he knew he'd gone berserk. He looked at Leslie again as he tried to put the pieces together. He took a step forward, intent on offering Leslie a hand up, but stopped when he stepped on something.</p><p>Cloud looked down to see a yellow orb under his boot. It was the lightning materia he'd given Leslie earlier. He scanned the rest of the junk near his feet as he reached down to picked up the materia. He took in the broken potion bottles, Chocobo nuts and Gysahl Greens before righting himself and offering Leslie a hand up.</p><p>Leslie took the proffered hand and got to his feet. He stood staring at Cloud with wide inquisitive yellow eyes.</p><p>Cloud looked embarrassed, "I went berserk?"</p><p>Leslie nodded.</p><p>"Shit," Cloud groaned.</p><p>"It's not your fault, pretty boy," Leslie shrugged, "But, I'm sure as hell glad you got it under control."</p><p>Cloud stared at Leslie, "I didn't."</p><p>Leslie stared at him, "Huh?"</p><p>"Whatever you did stopped it," Cloud said.</p><p>Leslie nodded to the floor, "Well, whatever I could throw at you seemed to do the trick."</p><p>Cloud looked down at the Gysahl Greens and potion bottles littering the ground and then back at Leslie, "Er, thanks."</p><p>Leslie accepted the yellow materia from Cloud and stuffed it back in his pocket. He then bent down to collect his money purse and scattered Chocobo nuts. When he righted himself, he turned to Cloud, "Ready?"</p><p>Cloud nodded and followed Leslie upstairs where they battled another room of bad guys. This time, Cloud stayed in firm control of himself.</p><p>When the building was clear, Cloud let down his guard and proceeded to follow Leslie around as he searched for something. Apparently not finding it, Leslie turned to Cloud and told him that they should head back to the diner.</p><p>Cloud drove him back to the diner and lifted his goggles as he waited for Leslie to disembark.</p><p>"Well, that was fun," Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud snorted, "Sure, almost dying's a trip."</p><p>"You wouldn't have killed me," Leslie said as he tilted his head to stare at him, "You're the hero."</p><p>Cloud swallowed, returning the stare. </p><p>"It's a good thing you took that Luck Source yesterday." He said.</p><p>"Guess so..." Leslie smiled, "Though, what a way to go."</p><p>Cloud squinted, wondering what Leslie meant.</p><p>"Even all red eyed and murderous, you're still hot as hell."</p><p>Cloud blinked.</p><p>Leslie smirked and gave him a wave, "Later!"</p><p>Cloud, unused to compliments, sat stationary on his bike as he watched Leslie turn and walk away.</p><p>"Hey!" Cloud said, "Leslie!"</p><p>Leslie turned around, "What?"</p><p>"Why are you breeding Chocobos?"</p><p>Leslie's eyes widened and he walked back towards Cloud, "Oh... I won a golden Chocobo in a gamble last year, but it was killed..."</p><p>"So you're trying to make another one?" Cloud said.</p><p>Leslie nodded.</p><p>Cloud felt bad that they'd wasted all day for nothing and he figured he could help Leslie out since he'd bred one before.</p><p>"Same time tomorrow?" He said.</p><p>Leslie stared at him, "I don't have any work for you tomorrow."</p><p>"That's fine."</p><p>Leslie grinned and nodded, "Sure."</p><p>Cloud lowered his goggles, nodded at Leslie, and drove off. On his way home, he couldn't stop thinking about the other man. He found it cute that Leslie was on this big, dangerous adventure and all he wanted was to create an itty bitty Chocobo.</p><p>
  <b>***</b>
</p><p> </p><p>"What's up with you eyes?" Cloud said.</p><p>Half of Leslie's mouth quirked up, "It's kohl. You like it?"</p><p>Cloud grunted as he adjusted his goggles, "Get on."</p><p>Leslie climbed on the back of the bike and wrapped his arms around him, "Where we headed?"</p><p>Cloud didn't answer. Instead, he made a beeline for the Chocobo Ranch.</p><p>When they arrived, Cloud parked his bike next to the brown wooden fence and removed his goggles. He waited for Leslie to get off the back of the bike and when he didn't, he turned back to look at him. Words dried up on his tongue while he stared at Leslie's yellow eyes lined in black khol. They seemed brighter. Cloud blinked out of his stupor as Leslie turned to focus his amber gaze on him.</p><p>"What the fuck?" Leslie breathed.</p><p>Cloud smirked as he saw the awe covering the younger man's face, "Wanna go say hi?"</p><p>Leslie nodded, and his arms fell away from Cloud's waist, before he scrambled off the bike.</p><p>"How did I not know this place existed?" Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud shrugged and swung his leg over the motorcycle.</p><p>Leslie stared at Cloud, giving him an appraising look, then he turned to stare at the four Chocobos grazing in the field.</p><p>Cloud watched Leslie approach the fence. He could tell he was an animal lover. He could see the love shining out of his eyes as he stared at the Chocobos. Cloud followed him up to the fence.</p><p>A yellow Chocobo stared at them and Cloud turned to Leslie, "There's a breeding program here. They can help you breed a golden Chocobo."</p><p>Leslie stared at Cloud speechless as the bird in front of them made a "Wark!" sound.</p><p>Leslie turned back to the bird.</p><p>Cloud grinned and made a sound resembling the bird, "Wark!"</p><p>Leslie's eyes shot to his hairline as he watched the Chocobos do their synchronized dance. Leslie was entranced by the sight of them.</p><p>Cloud stood watching Leslie, as he watched the birds. </p><p>When the Chocobos stopped dancing, Leslie turned to Cloud with eyes filled with wonder. "You speak Chocobo?"</p><p>Cloud shook his head and bit down on a smile.</p><p>"Oh," Leslie said.</p><p>He seemed equally disappointed and embarrassed and Cloud couldn't contain his smile. He pointed out the barn at the back of the farm and the two of them walked towards it. Cloud introduced Leslie to the breeder and Leslie rented a couple of stables.</p><p>The two of them wandered into the fields, after, to relax. They sat down next to one another on a grassy knoll and basked in the sunshine. Cloud laid back, resting his head on his crossed arms as he looked up at the bright blue sky.</p><p>"Are you going to Tifa's party?" He asked.</p><p>"I was thinking about it,” Leslie said, “She invited me.”</p><p>"She invited everyone."</p><p>"You don't seem enthused," Leslie said.</p><p>"I'm not, I guess."</p><p>"Why not?"</p><p>"Not a big party sort of guy."</p><p>"What sort of guy are you then?" Leslie asked.</p><p>Cloud blinked away from the sky and sat up. He squinted his eyes against the sun and then turned to look at Leslie, "Still trying to figure that out..."</p><p>Leslie stared at him, "What does that mean?"</p><p>Cloud looked at the curious expression on Leslie's face. He shrugged and looked off into the distance. When he spoke it was cold and unemotional. "Shinra experimented on me for years and I lost my mind. Now that I have it back... I still have duel memories and it's- confusing."</p><p>Cloud glanced back at Leslie to gauge his response. He watched as the Leslie's face darkened. His mouth was half open in sympathetic understanding, "Oh."</p><p>Cloud sniffed, "Yeah, well... It is what it is."</p><p>Leslie nodded, "Yeah. I get it... Some things can't be overcome... Instead, you just... endure them."</p><p>Cloud stared at Leslie. What could Leslie have hiding deep within himself that was tearing him apart every single day?</p><p>"My, uh... My dad killed my mom and then himself when I was a kid..." Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud stared at him.</p><p>Leslie continued, "So, I get it... How shitty things can happen outside of your control."</p><p>Cloud stared into Leslie's eyes and swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. He hadn't been expecting that sort of admission. It knocked him off kilter. It upset him to hear that Leslie went though that as a child.</p><p>Leslie saw how depressed he'd made Cloud and he tried to change the course of the conversation. He reached out and placed his gloved hand down over top of Clouds.</p><p>"Thanks... for your help with this today." Leslie said, "I don't know how to thank you."</p><p>Cloud nodded. His hand felt hot until Leslie pulled his away.</p><p>"Don't worry about it," Cloud said.</p><p>Leslie reached over with his boot and nudged Cloud, "I'm serious. Thank you."</p><p>Cloud stared into Leslie's black rimmed eyes and nodded. He then found himself locked in a staring match with Leslie. The two stared into each other's eyes until Cloud couldn't handle it any longer. Uncomfortable, he looked down and started to pick the grass. The birds chirped around them and the wind blew through the peaceful lush fields.</p><p>Cloud turned to look at Fenrir then back at Leslie, "Ready to head back?"</p><p>Leslie looked at Cloud like he wanted to say something but he didn't. Instead, he nodded and climbed to his feet.</p><p>Leslie tucked himself behind Cloud on the motorcycle seat and clasped his hands around his waist. Cloud felt Leslie's entire body plastered to his back, and he licked his lips as he pulled down his goggles. Leslie laid his head down on Cloud’s shoulder and something flipped over within his stomach. What the hell was he feeling, Cloud wondered. He pushed the thoughts from his mind and made a note to revisit them later when he meditated.</p><p>Leslie shifted his grip while they drove. Moving his hands from around Cloud's waist to rest against his hips. The more intimate touch caused Cloud to bite his lip the entire ride back to Edge.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey,"</p><p>Cloud spun around and blinked as he saw Leslie standing in his kitchen, "Uh, hey."</p><p>He looked out of his element and Cloud took pity on him. "You want a drink?"</p><p>"Sure," Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud grabbed a beverage from the bucket of ice water next to him and held the dripping can out. Leslie accepted it and Cloud gestured with his head towards the living room as he cracked his own can open. The two of them entered to see Tifa's party in full swing. They sequestered themselves to a couch in the corner of the room and watched the antics of everyone else. </p><p>Through out the night, Cloud was surprised to find himself having a good time. He spent the majority of the night with Leslie. They drank copious amounts of liquor together and played round after round of darts. As it grew later, and the party started to wind down, all that was left were them and the diehards.</p><p>Cloud and Leslie entered the kitchen for a top up. Each of them ribbing each other about being too drunk to continue throwing sharp objects.</p><p>Tifa interrupted them, "Hey, Cloud, can you help me?"</p><p>Cloud nodded and passed the two new cans to Leslie, "I'll find ya in there."</p><p>Leslie returned to the living room, while Cloud stepped closer to Tifa. He watched her mix up a tray full of drinks, "What's up?"</p><p>"Hey, sorry to be a bother, but can you get me more ice from out back? I need about four bags."</p><p>Cloud left the kitchen to do as asked. He brought the ice bags inside and stacked them next to Tifa.</p><p>"Thank you!" She said.</p><p>Cloud watched her lift the overflowing tray of drinks and return to the living room. He shook his head fondly at her as he took a detour upstairs. He used the washroom before wandering into his bedroom. He sat down on the edge of his bed and sighed as he realized he was drunk. While he'd still been in buzzed status, Cloud recalled watching Leslie light up from the effects of the alcohol. Cloud wondered if Leslie was a cheap drunk. He seemed like it.</p><p>Mind awash with thoughts of Leslie, Cloud figured he should head back downstairs to keep him entertained. He stood up from his bed and his eyes shot up as the bedroom door creaked open.</p><p>"Ah, there you are," Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud snorted, "How you more drunk? It's been two minutes."</p><p>Leslie chuckled and tilted his head. Silver strands of hair fell into his eyes, "Tifa was handing out shot glasses. They were good."</p><p>Cloud watched as Leslie pushed the door shut behind him and lean his weight against it.</p><p>"Gaia, you're gorgeous," Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud blinked. What the hell was he supposed to do with that?</p><p>Leslie pushed off from the door and approached him with a grin. As Leslie crowded him, Cloud took a step back, but the bed halted his movement. He swallowed and stared into Leslie's glassy, yellow eyes.</p><p>Leslie leaned forward and kissed him.</p><p>Time appeared to freeze.</p><p>Cloud stood with his hands at his sides. His eyes were open wide as he watched Leslie take a couple steps back.</p><p>"Uh, my mistake," Leslie said, "I, uh... read the signals wrong, I guess."</p><p>Cloud stood like a statue as he watched Leslie's eyes flit nervously over him. He watched horrified rejection cross Leslie's face before he ducked out of the room and disappeared.</p><p>Cloud felt like a bucket of ice water crashed down over his head. Shocked, by both the kiss and the change he'd seen in Leslie, Cloud plopped down on his bed and put his head in his hands.</p><p>"What the fuck?!" He groaned.</p><p>Cloud lifted his head from his hands and looked around his empty room. He mulled over what happened and sighed. He couldn't get the vision out of his mind of watching Leslie shut down before him. He knew it was too late to rewind time. Too late to say, or do, the right thing. The moment was over and Leslie was gone.</p><p>It took a while for Cloud to get his thoughts under control, but once he did, he decided to go look for the other man. Cloud wandered Edge all night, but he didn't find Leslie. Not that he really expected to. He just needed some time to think.</p><p>While he wandered the dark streets, Cloud came to the realization that he'd been stupid. He recognized that he should've known that this would be the culmination of events between them. He gave himself an excuse for freezing up, since he'd never expected his first kiss to be with another guy, but he knew that he should've known where the evening was heading all along. He'd felt it earlier, when Leslie reached out to touch his arm. Not to mention all the long stares between them, and Leslie's perpetual flirting.</p><p>Cloud couldn't truthfully say that he hadn't felt this coming. He'd known this would eventually happen. He'd just been ignorant. He'd hoped that things would just stay the way they were for a while; but, of course, liquor exacerbated everything.</p><p>The night might have ended badly between them, but Cloud couldn't deny that he'd had a great time leading up to to the fall out. He really liked spending time with Leslie. Cloud couldn't even remember what happened during the rest of the party, because the two of them seemed to only have eyes for each other.</p><p>Cloud rebuked himself while he walked home and cursed his ability to communicate. He didn't even know where to begin to fix the mess. All he could think of was the look on Leslie's face as he rushed from the room.</p><p> </p><p>Cloud woke up in the morning and made himself coffee. He then sat at the kitchen table with his eyes closed trying to meditate. Tifa woke up and started cleaning and reorganizing the kitchen. She gave Cloud a rundown of everything that happened at the party the night before and Cloud shoved thoughts of Leslie to the back of his mind and compartmentalized them. He focused on helping Tifa clean the kitchen and when they finished they ate lunch with the kids.</p><p>Cloud made himself a cup of green tea and wandered out into the back yard with it to sit in the sunshine. Denzel followed along behind him and wandered over towards the vegetable garden. Cloud closed his eyes to try to meditate again, but found he couldn't concentrate because Denzel approached him and started to talk to him. Cloud shut off his thoughts and sipped his tea as he listened to Denzel tell him a story.</p><p>After that, as Cloud became sidetracked by other things that needed doing, he completely forgot his desire to meditate.</p><p> </p><p>At night, laying on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head, Cloud listened to the rain pitter patter against the rooftop. He closed his eyes and fell into meditation. The first image he saw in his mind was Leslie's stricken face after kissing him. He'd looked so rejected. Cloud gulped.</p><p>He flinched and sat up when he heard the creak of his bedroom door. Cloud watched Marlene toddled in and he shot her a small smile before he laid back down. Cloud watched Marlene crawl into his bed and snuggle up beside him. He lowered one arm to hug her to him.</p><p>"What's up?" he said.</p><p>Marlene shivered, "I miss Daddy."</p><p>Cloud used his foot to pull the blanket up from the bottom of the bed. He covered Marlene with it.</p><p>"He'll come back."</p><p>"I know." Marlene said, "But I still miss him."</p><p>Cloud swallowed, "I miss him too... just don't tell him that when he gets back."</p><p>Marlene grinned up at him with watery eyes and then rested her little head on his chest. Cloud listened to her breath as she fell asleep against him.</p><p>Cloud stared up at the roof as he thought about feelings. He speculated that people must have them for a reason. Like the feelings he and Marlene had for Barrett. Or the feelings he was developing for Leslie. There was a reason for those feelings, weren't there?</p><p>Cloud didn't know where his feelings for Leslie would lead but he felt excited by the prospect to find out. Deep in his gut, Cloud could feel some potential in their union. Still, the more he gave it thought, the more Cloud knew it wouldn't last. It couldn't last. Who even was Leslie? Didn't he have a fiancee? What did he even want with him? Not to mention, Leslie didn't really have any idea who Cloud was. Leslie had no idea who he was flirting with.</p><p>Still unsure what to do about his feelings, Cloud reached the cusp of sleep and the darkness swallowed him. He dreamed vividly, but didn't remember anything when he woke up.</p><p>Cloud squinted as sunlight pried open his eyelids. He gently climbed from his bed and settled Marlene against the pillow. He quietly moved through the kitchen, making himself something to eat and drink, before deciding to take a drive to Aerith's church.</p><p>It didn't take long on his bike to travel to the Sector 5. The slums appeared devoid of monsters and Cloud wondered if that was because of him and Leslie.</p><p>He parked his bike out front and then settled down near the healing spring to begin meditating. He revisited the feelings that were floating around in his gut whenever Leslie was around. Cloud couldn't deny how he felt. He liked Leslie a lot - too much. All he could envision, in his mind's eye, was Leslie's yellow, black-lined eyes. They really were like lighting.</p><p>Cloud didn't know why he hadn't thought of this happening before. He'd just been enjoying his time with Leslie the last few days. He hadn't thought about it, but the feelings made sense to him now. Every time Leslie touched him, Cloud felt a zap of something electric and exciting fly through his body. Leslie excited him. It had been so long since Cloud felt the feeling that he no longer recognized it.</p><p>Every moment they spent together was something else. Leslie even made him laugh. Everything had been going so well between them, up until the kiss.</p><p>It ticked Cloud off that the kiss freaked him out so much. He was mad at himself because he'd freaked Leslie out and now they weren't even talking. What was worse was that Cloud had no idea how to get a hold of Leslie now. He'd gone by the diner a few times, but felt like a creepy stalker so he stopped.</p><p>Unable to rectify the situation, Cloud did what he always did. He held it in. Since there was nowhere else for his feelings to go, Cloud swallowed the dilemma and went about his life. He had jobs to do, after all.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p><br/>"You got a job?" Tifa asked.</p><p>"Uh, yeah."</p><p>"Oh, that's great, Cloud! I'm happy for you. You've been so glum lately."</p><p>Cloud stared at Tifa in contemplation. He thought about telling her the reason for his shift in mood, but decided against it since he knew it would hurt her. There was that thing about feelings, again. Cloud kept his thoughts to himself. </p><p>As he sat there watching her, Cloud realized that Tifa was yet another reason why nothing should happen between him and Leslie. Cloud didn’t want to hurt her and he knew how she felt about him.</p><p> </p><p>Cloud moved through the next few days as if he was in a fog. He did his random deliveries and often found himself out driving just for the solitude. Through it all, he felt like he was going thru withdrawals for Leslie. He'd gotten used to seeing him everyday. Everything felt dull now. Even while Cloud stood in the sunshine, he couldn't feel its warmth.</p><p>He felt ashamed for shutting down during Leslie's kiss. He antagonized himself over the situation, thinking about it nonstop.</p><p>Unable to work out a fix, Cloud's displeasure regarding the situation began to stain the rest of his actions. He was perpetually in a bad mood and he'd noticed that the others had started to distance themselves from him. He knew Tifa suspected something was up with him because he'd caught the tail end of her conversation on the telephone this morning. She'd been talking about him.</p><p>Cloud listened as he stood stock still in the hallway.</p><p>"I know, I just hope he gets out of this funk soon. I'm worried about him... Yeah... I know... Okay, I'll keep you posted. Bye."</p><p>Cloud stood there for long moments after Tifa hung up. He hadn't been hiding his feelings well enough, and he vowed to himself to appear more happy around Tifa and the kids going forward.</p><p>Figuring there was no time like the present for practice, Cloud pulled on a fake smile and entered the kitchen. He opened and closed the fridge and then moved towards the bar to sit down.</p><p>"Good morning!" Tifa said.</p><p>"Morning,"</p><p>"Coffee?" She said.</p><p>"Yeah." Cloud said, "Thanks."</p><p>Tifa poured him a cup of black coffee and brought it to him, "So... how are you today?"</p><p>Cloud shrugged and looked her in the eye, "I'm fine. How about you?"</p><p>"Oh! I'm good." She said, surprised by the sudden change in him, "Busy with the books, but good."</p><p>Cloud nodded and moved with his coffee mug to sit in front of the kid's puzzle on the table. He scanned it over and smiled. They were almost done. As he reached for a random puzzle piece, Tifa cleared her throat.</p><p>"I actually have another job for you," She said.</p><p>Cloud perked up and looked over his shoulder at her, "Yeah?"</p><p>"Mmhmm, It's a delivery in town. You have to pick it up to deliver it."</p><p>"When?" He asked.</p><p>"Today," She said, "Whenever you're free."</p><p>"What's the address?"</p><p>TIfa passed him a paper, "Here."</p><p>Cloud scanned the paper and then tucked it into his pocket, "Thanks,"</p><p>"So," TIfa said, "Will you be back for dinner?"</p><p>Cloud shrugged, "Guess that depends,"</p><p>Tifa smiled and ducked her head, "Well, back to the books, then. See ya!"</p><p>Cloud returned the smile, "Bye."</p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Cloud went to his first job of the day. He had to transport a fridge for an old couple who were both in wheelchairs. He helped them move the old broken fridge out and installed the new one. He then heaved the old fridge out to the end of the driveway for pickup before returning to the old folks.</p><p>Cloud sat down on the porch steps and wiped his brow. The old man offered him money, but Cloud didn't accept it. Instead he told him he just wanted to sit on his porch in the shade, petting their cat, until his heart rate calmed down.</p><p>The old lady gave him a cute, down turned smile before she rolled back into the house. The old man thanked him again for being so selfless. When the lady reappeared, she had a plate of sweets on her lap and a glass of water in her hand. She passed them to Cloud and he thanked her.</p><p>Cloud downed the water and nibbled on a biscuit while he pet the cat. The three of them sat in companionable silence until Cloud stood up and told them he had to get going. The couple thanked him again as Cloud extricated himself.</p><p>While he walked back to his bike, Cloud found himself grinning at the old couple's antics. They were both so sweet. Cloud climbed onto his bike and realized that he was smiling his first real smile since the night of the party. It slipped from his face as he thought of the look on Leslie's face when he'd run from him. Cloud pursed his lips and revved the throttle. He drove home to have a quick shower and to change his clothes before he went to his next job.</p><p> </p><p>Tifa walked into the bathroom and screamed in fright as she clutched her chest. "Jeez! Sorry, Cloud!" she said.</p><p>Cloud blushed, embarrassed, as Tifa's eyes raked over him.</p><p>He clutched his towel around his waist and stepped forward, pushing her out of the room and closing the door in her face. He stood there, pressing his forehead against the wood door, before he sighed and straightened up. He turned back to look at himself in the mirror.</p><p>Cloud tried to see what Tifa saw in him. He'd seen the look in her eyes as she gave him the once over. He looked down at his marred torso and glared at the spiderweb of scars covering his right pectoral muscle. He reached up to rubbed his fingers over the ugly scar tissue then he let his hand fall.</p><p>He glanced into the mirror and scanned the myriad of marks littering his skin. He'd been experiment on... he didn't see what Tifa or Leslie saw in him. A canvas of ugly scars wasn't much to write home about. He turned away from the mirror and dressed himself all in black. He felt that the color was appropriate for his mood. Afterwards, he got on his bike and headed towards his second job to pick up the delivery item.</p><p> </p><p>Cloud pulled up to the inn Tifa directed him to in Edge. Cloud chatted with the innkeeper, who gave him a small box roughly the size of a ball of materia. Cloud pocketed the box and accepted the paper with the new address on it. He drove to the address, parked in front of a patchwork apartment building, and dismounted his bike.</p><p>Cloud grabbed a sword from Fenrir and hooked it on his back before approaching the building. After knocking once, he waited, and his impatience mounted. Cloud scowled and was about to knock again when the door opened to reveal Leslie.</p><p>Cloud stood frozen, blinking as he stared. Leslie wasn't wearing his hat or his leather jacket. His silver hair was in disorder around his face and he was wearing full pants.</p><p>Cloud almost dropped the box in his hand. He swallowed and held it out in front of him.</p><p>The two of them stared at one another until Leslie broke the stare and looked down at the package. He reached out, took the box from him, and then close the door.</p><p>Cloud stood there blinking while the shock wore off.</p><p>When he got back to his bike, he made sure the paper with the address was still in his pocket. It was. He got on his bike and peeled out. He floored it through town and headed straight for Midgar. He had some energy to burn.</p><p>Cloud fumed, as he drove. He maxed out the speedometer. How could he be so stupid to let the moment escape him again? Why didn't he say anything? </p><p>Cloud parked his bike near a nest of monsters. He pulled out his sword and watched the enemies approach. He shifted into stance. He needed to let off steam.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was raining lightly when Cloud drove towards Aerith's church to meditate. When he got there, he saw a group of people surrounding the spring and he returned to his bike deterred. He drove back to Edge as the rain picked up.</p><p>Cloud was on his way home when he found himself driving in the wrong direction. Unable to stop thinking about Leslie, it didn't surprise him when he pulled up in front of the patchwork apartment building. He wanted to march right up to the door and knock, but he was too chicken shit.</p><p>Cloud sat on his bike, in the rain, staring up at Leslie's closed door.</p><p>He thought about the Magic Sources in his pocket. He'd found them during his Midgar monster hunt the day before. Cloud wanted to give them to Leslie, but he knew it wasn't a good idea. He knew the next time he saw Leslie, the silver haired man would be cold with him again. Especially, if Cloud insulted his magic proficiency.</p><p>Cloud understood the situation, but he didn't like it. He'd grown accustomed to Leslie lately. He missed the affectionate little nicknames he'd call him, or how Leslie would persistently try to joke with him despite not receiving a laugh. Cloud missed the little mannerisms he hadn't really noticed before, like how Leslie's yellow eyes were always following him. Cloud even missed Leslie's touch. He missed the feeling of Leslie hanging onto him while they were on the bike together.</p><p>Now that Cloud saw Leslie for the man he was, he craved more time with him. Sure, he used to work for Corneo as a top-tier villain, but Cloud knew that Leslie wasn't just a merciless tool. He'd given Cloud back his sword before the fight with Corneo. He hadn't had to do that, but he did. Wasn't that the type of person Leslie was?</p><p>Cloud didn't know. He didn't know very much about Leslie at all. He only knew that Leslie's yellow stare, and wandering hands, had done things to him. Changed him somehow. Things had shifted within him, and more then anything, the biggest change was the frequency with which he thought about Leslie now. It was becoming all consuming. All he could think of was how adorable and charming the other man was and how he couldn't even talk to him anymore.</p><p>The thing that Cloud liked the most about Leslie was that he put in the effort in to talk to him. Cloud knew that he wasn't the most social person. He'd heard before that talking to him was a lot like pulling teeth. So he understood that it took a lot out of most people to be around him for too long. People were usually too afraid to talk to him, anyway, and then the others that were brave enough tended to avoid him since he was too blunt. But that didn't seem to matter to Leslie, he still pursued him, regardless of how Cloud acted. Or, he had, until everything got all screwed up.</p><p>Cloud wanted to talk to Leslie again. He didn't like this new way of life. He figured, if he could just think of the right thing to say, somehow he'd be able to fix things between them.</p><p>He also figured it was a futile hope.</p><p>Cloud sat soaking wet, moping on his bike. He knew his hair looked terrible and he cursed the rain.</p><p>After a few minutes, Cloud sighed as he turned off the bike. "It's now or never," He muttered.</p><p>Cloud steeled his nerves as he walked across the street. He stopped in front of Leslie's door and wondered if this was a good idea. He took a second to clear his mind and then knocked.</p><p>Leslie answered the door and his relaxed face morphed to shutter out all emotion.</p><p>Cloud gulped.</p><p>Leslie stared at him, his amber gaze flickering over his face in question.</p><p>Cloud stood mute, unable to think of a way to remedy the situation with words. Words were never his strong suit. What the hell was he doing here? Of course, he knew what sort of thing he needed to say, but seeing Leslie standing in front of him caused Cloud's throat to close up. He stood speechless.</p><p>Leslie looked over Cloud's shoulder towards the rain soaked streets and then he glanced back at Cloud. He wavered in the doorway as if he was debating closing the door in Cloud's face again.</p><p>Cloud cleared his throat, "Hey,"</p><p>Leslie's eyes shot to his and the two stared at one another.</p><p>Locked in Leslie's electric yellow stare, Cloud wondered if he liked Leslie's eyes better with or without the added black makeup.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud blinked, "Uh"</p><p>Leslie raised an eyebrow, nonplussed, and Cloud resolved to speak.</p><p>"I'm sorry... for... ya know..." Cloud closed his eyes and sighed, "...For how I reacted."</p><p>Leslie stared at him and then chuckled, "Wow... that looked like it was pretty hard for you to get out."</p><p>Cloud frowned.</p><p>Leslie's lips pulled to the side and he stared at Cloud until he let him off the hook with a slight shoulder shrug.</p><p>"I get it," He said, "It's not really couth here in Edge. I forget, sometimes... Guess I spent too much time in the Wall Market."</p><p>Cloud glanced down at his wet boots before looking back up at Leslie. He knew what Leslie was doing. He was giving him an out. They could just leave everything on the table and separate on good terms. No harm, no foul. Cloud felt the moment was catalytic and he gulped. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but nothing was forthcoming.</p><p>Leslie shifted his weight from side to side as he ran an agitated hand through his silver hair. He quirked a small smile, "Right. Well, I should..."</p><p>He pointed over his shoulder into his home while Cloud continued to stare at him.</p><p>Leslie nodded once, "Er...right... Have a good night."</p><p>He smiled beautifully, if not sadly, and moved to close the door.</p><p>Cloud moved, without thinking, and blocked the door from closing with his boot.</p><p>Large yellow eyes scanned Cloud's face in shock.</p><p>"What?" Leslie said.</p><p>"This is all new to me." Cloud said.</p><p>The two continued to stare at each other with the door hanging half-closed between them.</p><p>Cloud, unsure of himself, shifted forward and pressed his lips against Leslie's.</p><p>Leslie reared back, yanked open the door, and shoved him in the chest, "Cloud! You can't just do that here!"</p><p>Cloud blinked, dismayed, as he looked around. There was no one around. He shook his head at himself. This wasn't what he wanted his first and second kisses to be like. He pursed his lips as he stared into Leslie's frantic amber gaze. "I'll go."</p><p>Cloud turned around and started back to his bike. He shut his eyes, incredulous with himself, as he recognized what a fool he'd just made himself into.</p><p>"Wait!" Leslie said, taking steps forward onto the rain soaked pavement in his socks. "Cloud! Wait!"</p><p>Cloud turned back to him and floundered. "..."</p><p>Cloud really wished he knew the right thing to say. He stared at the Leslie and felt a yearning deep within him that he didn't understand. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. "I don't know what I'm doing." He said.</p><p>Leslie gave Cloud a lopsided smile, "I know that, Hero, and I'm beyond happy with these new developments. Really, I am...It's just- you don't know who's watching me. We can't do that in public."</p><p>Cloud watch Leslie's cute smile morph into a frown.</p><p>"Who's watching you?" He said.</p><p>Leslie twisted his lips, "Will you meet me tomorrow? At the diner?"</p><p>Cloud stared, "You'll be fine until then?"</p><p>Leslie smirked, "I'm not some helpless maiden in distress, Cloud."</p><p>"Er, I know that."</p><p>Leslie grinned, "I'll see you tomorrow."</p><p>Cloud nodded.</p><p>The two stared at one another until Cloud turned away. He walked back to his bike and pulled on his goggles. He took one last look at where Leslie's door should be and smiled when he spied Leslie still standing there watching him. Cloud felt the tell tale tingle of excitement in his gut and he smiled. Maybe, just maybe, this could work out. </p><p>***</p><p>Tifa noticed Cloud smiling while he sat out on the back steps. She plopped down beside him and nudge him in the shoulder, "I haven't seen one of those in an age!"</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Cloud said.</p><p>"You're smiling!"</p><p>Cloud lifted one side of his mouth to smile at her and Tifa pointed at his face.</p><p>"That's what I mean, that's half-assed. The one I just caught you with was a... Oh my god!"</p><p>Cloud turned to Tifa, "What?"</p><p>"You've met someone!" She said.</p><p>Cloud blinked at Tifa in shocked silence. He kept his face expressionless. Tifa didn't appear to be mad. He’d expected a much worse reaction.</p><p>"Who is it?" She said.</p><p>Cloud licked his lips, "It's nothing."</p><p>"That was not a nothing smile, Mr!"</p><p>Cloud scowled and nodded. He shifted his feet apart and stared down at the ground. "Yeah. You're right. It's not... nothing."</p><p>"But you don't want to talk about it." Tifa finished for him.</p><p>She sighed but smiled, "I get it."</p><p>The two of them sat in amiable silence.</p><p>***</p><p> </p><p><br/>Cloud picked up Leslie from the the diner and asked him "Where to?"</p><p>Leslie told him to "Just drive," so Cloud drove them out to the Chocobo farm so they could sit in the field and talk.</p><p>Leslie got off the bike first and waited for Cloud to dismount before he stepped up close to him and kissed him. Cloud stumbled back into his bike but steadied himself by grabbing Leslie's forearms. Time stood still as the two of them pressed their lips together. It was a nice kiss. Much better then the last two.</p><p>It was Cloud's first kiss that was enjoyable. The sort of kiss that quelled his nerves and made him forget about the first two failed attempts.</p><p>Leslie pulled away from him with a grin, "Right, now that that's out of the way."</p><p>He grabbed Cloud's hand and dragged him out into the sunny field. He pulled him down to sit in the grass and didn't let go of his hand.</p><p>Cloud stared down at his hand as Leslie linked their fingers together. He looked up to see his yellow eyes looking out across the distance.</p><p>The silence seemed to drag on and on and Cloud stared down at the hand in his. He flexed his hand, and felt Leslie squeeze him in return. He turned to look at Cloud then, and his expression was serious. Cloud felt uneasy.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"I guess you wanna know about Merle..." Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud squinted. He did, but he hadn't asked.</p><p>Leslie twisted his lips and then looked off into the distance.</p><p>"There's someone after me, Cloud."</p><p>Cloud clenched Leslie's hand, in reassurance.</p><p>"Ever since I came to Edge... They've taken everything from me."</p><p>Cloud met Leslie's hard stare when he turned to him.</p><p>"They killed Merle... And my daughter..."</p><p>Leslie looked away again and Cloud was glad for it. The look in those yellow eyes was haunting.</p><p>"My golden Chocobo," Leslie said and then let out a self deprecating laugh.</p><p>Cloud watched a tear leak out of Leslie's eye and he reached forward and brushed the drop away. Leslie shot him a smile and then looked back out across the field.</p><p>Cloud sat with Leslie in silence as he held his hand. He had no words, and he knew even if he did that they were pointless anyway.</p><p>"I know, you can take care of yourself," Leslie said, "But it's only fair to forewarn you."</p><p>Cloud nodded. He understood. The only reason Leslie was telling him about his past was because Cloud needed to know that there was now a target on his back.</p><p>"I get it," Cloud said.</p><p>And he did. He now had his answers regarding Merle... Leslie did end up finding her. They'd even had a kid together. Cloud stared at Leslie and wondered how someone who'd lost so much in his short life could still smile. He'd lost his mother, father, wife, and child... Cloud made a mental vow to help Leslie get revenge.</p><p>Cloud clenched his hand and Leslie turned to him and smiled. His amber eyes were no longer glassy. Cloud appreciated the strength of that smile.</p><p>Leslie leaned forward and caught Cloud's lips up in a kiss. They kissed gently several times, and then Cloud was falling back as Leslie pushed him to the ground. Both his hands came up on either side of Leslie's waist, unsure of weather to push, or pull, him away. </p><p>Cloud tried to calm his nerves as Leslie shifted his legs apart with his knee and laid down on top of him. He reached for the zipper at Cloud's throat, and Cloud caught his wrist. The two stared at each other as Leslie bit his bottom lip and pulled his hand back. Cloud saw he'd made Leslie gun shy and he felt like a fool. Leslie would see what he looked like eventually. Why not now?</p><p>Leslie shifted and slide his body half off of Cloud. He laid his head down on Cloud's shoulder, exactly where his ugliest scar was. Cloud blinked his blue eyes up to the sky and took a deep breath. He drew his arm around Leslie and felt Leslie drape his arm across his waist.</p><p>Cloud felt Leslie fiddling with his chest straps and he looked down. Leslie looked up at him and the two kissed. Cloud smiled and shifted to align their faces so he could settled in and enjoy himself.</p><p>They continued kissing until the sun set, loosing themselves in each other.</p><p>"It's dark," Cloud said.</p><p>Leslie laughed, "That it is,"</p><p>"I didn't notice."</p><p>"No," Leslie smirked, "You were busy."</p><p>Cloud smiled. He watched Leslie stand up and then he climbed to his feet as well. He reached out for Leslie's shirt and tugged him close for another kiss. Leslie pressed himself up against him and moaned into his mouth. Cloud smiled against his lips as he continued kissing Leslie while walking him backwards towards the bike.</p><p>Leslie grinned and pulled back from the kiss as he bumped into Fenrir. He shifted to the side, to let Cloud straddle the bike, and then he climbed on behind him. Leslie latched onto Cloud and became pudding against his back. Cloud enjoyed the feeling.</p><p>When they arrived back to Edge, Cloud pulled up in front of Leslie's apartment. He peeled off his goggles and was about to turn to look at Leslie when he froze and stared straight ahead with wide eyes.</p><p>Leslie moved his hands over him. Resting his palms on the top of each of Cloud's thighs. He ran his hands back and forth, dipping them in to rub up the seam against his inner thigh.</p><p>Cloud shivered as Leslie pulled away. He hadn't been expecting that. He clenched his thighs against the bike as Leslie chuckled in his ear and dismounted.</p><p>Leslie smirked as Cloud caught his eye, "Later, Pretty Boy."</p><p>Breathless, Cloud couldn't trust his voice. He nodded. </p><p>***</p><p>Cloud woke up bright and early and drove over to Leslie's place. He hid his bike in an old guy's backyard for a few Gil and then set up a covert watch. He lounged around in position while he watched and waited for the silver fox to leave his house. When Leslie finally did, Cloud stalked him as he went about his day.</p><p>Leslie started off by fetching food from the diner and then he walked to a residential place and picked something up before walking to another place to drop the thing off.</p><p>Leslie was leading him back to his home and Cloud waited until Leslie was inside before he took his bike out of his hiding spot.</p><p>Cloud sat on his bike across the street from the apartment building and wondered if stalking Leslie today was worth it. He felt weird about it, but he couldn't think of any other way to find out who was after Leslie. He hoped that this invasion of privacy wouldn't bite him in the ass. Especially, now that things were good between them again.</p><p>Cloud looked up at Leslie's door across the street and felt a warmth blossom inside his chest as he remembered all the kisses from yesterday. His lips were still chapped.</p><p>Cloud smiled to himself and was about to drive off when he noticed Leslie's door open. He squinted as he watched Leslie walked out. He was followed by someone holding him at gunpoint.</p><p>Cloud rolled his bike backwards into an ally and watched the two of them get into a van. He followed behind, waiting to rescue Leslie until he could see where they ended up.</p><p>It didn't take long.</p><p>Cloud followed Leslie and the gunman into a large patchwork building. He lurked in the shadows and assessed the enemies. He moved into a more tactical position as the head guy, a balding fat man named Egor, spoke down to Leslie.</p><p>From what he heard, Cloud gathered that Egor and Leslie used to work together under Corneo.</p><p>"I'm gonna make you pay, punk," Egor said, "You were the weakest link in wall market."</p><p>Egor waving his illuminated hand at Leslie.</p><p>"Everything that happened was because of you!" Egor shouted.</p><p>He threw his arm out and a spell lashed out of it. Leslie threw up and arms and flinched, even though the spell reflected off of him.</p><p>Cloud waited for the spell's area of effect to fizzle out and then he intervened to cut Egor down to size. Unfortunately, while Cloud advanced on the boss, one of his underlings spelled Leslie into a toad.</p><p>Cloud troubled himself not to step on Leslie while finishing the battle. He cleared out the room of enemies and then stared at the frog hoping around on the floor. Cloud smirked as he bend down and reached out his hand.</p><p>Leslie hopped into his glove.</p><p>Cloud held Leslie carefully as he walked back to his bike. He sat down on the bike and set Leslie in his lap as he opened up Fenrir's expandable compartment. He rooted around and found a maidens kiss and then poured it over Leslie.</p><p>"Oof!" Cloud grunted.</p><p>Leslie converted back and grabbed onto Clouds neck as he looked around to find himself sitting in Cloud's lap.</p><p>"Uh, hey," Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud smiled and kissed him.</p><p>Leslie pull away and Cloud stared into his worried Yellow eyes.</p><p>"I got him, Leslie." Cloud said, "No more looking over your shoulder." </p><p>Leslie's amber eyes welled with tears and he turned his head away. Cloud hugged him and Leslie stuffed his face into Cloud's neck. After a few silent moments, Leslie shifted away, got off Cloud's lap, and climbed on the back. He wrapped his arms around Cloud's waist and said, "Take me home?"</p><p>Cloud caressed the hands at his waist and then drove them back across town. When they got there, Cloud got off the bike with Leslie and the two entered Leslie's apartment. Cloud looked around, curious, and Leslie worried his bottom lip.</p><p>"It's not much..." He said.</p><p>Cloud looked him in the eye and Leslie shrugged.</p><p>Cloud tilted his head as he stared at Leslie. He didn't care what he owned. He took a step closer to kiss him just as the telephone rang.</p><p>Leslie sighed and looked at the door leading out of the room, "I'll be right back."</p><p>Cloud nodded and stood listless in the center of the living room. He moved to sit down on the couch and grinned as he thought back to their recent heavy petting. Maybe it was a good thing that there was a phone call. They'd been getting hot and heavy out in the field, he wondered what would happen in Leslie's house. Cloud wasn't sure how comfortable he was with how fast everything was going. He knew he'd need to meditate on it.</p><p>Leslie walked back into the living room and extended the phone to Cloud.</p><p>"It's Tifa," he said, "She's looking for you."</p><p>Cloud stared at Leslie as his mind pulled together a conclusion. Something in his head, told him that Tifa already knew. She'd known about Leslie and him for some time now. Longer then Cloud himself had. Did Tifa and Leslie conspire the "delivery"? That was something else he'd have to meditate on, he thought.</p><p>Cloud accepted the phone, "Yeah?"</p><p>"Hey, Cloud," Tifa said.</p><p>There was silence and then Tifa spoke again, "I'm proud of you, you know."</p><p>"You knew?" He said.</p><p>"Not for sure, but I had an inkling. You're not mad are you?"</p><p>Cloud didn't say anything and Tifa sounded like she was smiling into the phone when she spoke next, "I'll let you go. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."</p><p>"I'm fine." Cloud said.</p><p>"That's good," Tifa said, "Talk soon!"</p><p>"Yeah," He said.</p><p>Cloud handed the phone to Leslie and then fell back on the couch with a sigh.</p><p>"That bad?" Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud looked at him, "No. Not at all."</p><p>Leslie grinned, "Good... So we're okay to continue where he left off?"</p><p>Cloud licked his lips. He knew he should leave. Head home and help out with the orphans. Instead, selfishly, he nodded.</p><p>***</p><p> </p><p><br/>Cloud and Leslie were making out in Cloud's locked bedroom when Barret arrived home. The two of them heard the ruckus and headed downstairs for the reunion. Cloud stood back, observing. Leslie stuck close to his side.</p><p>Barret held Marlene on his arm, in a permanent hug, as he chatted with the others in the bar. Barret turned and saw Cloud and Leslie. He nodded to Cloud, then turned to Leslie and asked him what he was doing there. Cloud reached out and grabbed Leslie's hand in his, lacing their fingers, and Barret looked between the both of them.</p><p>He threw his gun arm up in the air in surprise, "Huh, never woulda guessed!"</p><p>Cloud smirked and Barret nodded at the two of them before he spun back around to look for Tifa. "What no champagne?"</p><p>Tifa laughed and popped open a bottle. Everyone toasted Barrett's return and then left him alone to have some time with his daughter.</p><p>Cloud led Leslie back up to his room, where the two of them laid side by side on the small bed. Their shoulders, hips and legs were touching and Cloud felt like there was lightning coursing through his veins linking all the spots of contact.</p><p>Cloud rubbed his palm over Leslie's back while they lay there. He reached out with his other hand and covered Leslie's hand that fiddled with his leather chest straps.</p><p>Leslie's head rested on his shoulder, and Cloud closed his eyes as he heard the rain softly hitting the roof. He closed his eyes and sighed peacefully.</p><p>"I like this," he said.</p><p>Leslie chuckled, "I like you,"</p><p>Cloud opened his eyes and he stared at the ceiling.</p><p>"You were my first kiss," he said.</p><p>"You're kidding..." Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud shook his head and held Leslie closer to him. Now that he'd experienced the physical contact, he couldn't get enough of it.</p><p>"Well, I'm honored." Leslie said.</p><p>Cloud looked down at him and Leslie leaned his smiling face closer to kiss him.</p><p>When he pulled away, his amber eyes stared into Cloud's.</p><p>"I could kiss you forever," he said, "It's not gonna be hard for me to fall in love with you, Hero."</p><p>Cloud blinked, "Love?"</p><p>Leslie half-smiled and shrugged, "Yeah, I know. You could never love me, but still... It won't take much for you to charm me. I'm smitten already."</p><p>Cloud frowned and stared into Leslie’s yellow eyes as he wondered what that meant. Did he really believe that? That Cloud was incapable of love? What a weird thing to say. Especially when it preyed on Cloud's fears about himself. He stared at Leslie.</p><p>"I could love you," He said.</p><p>Leslie chuckled, "Come on, Pretty Boy. I know the score. I used to be a contract killer, and you... Well, you saved the world. We're different."</p><p>Cloud swallowed the lump in his throat, relieved. He'd thought wrong. Leslie didn't think Cloud incapable of love. Instead, Leslie thought himself unlovable.</p><p>Cloud laced his fingers with Leslie's, "I didn't save the world... and we're not so different."</p><p>Cloud admired the color of Leslie's amber eyes as he licked his chapped lips.</p><p>"I could fall in love with you." he repeated.</p><p>Leslie stared at him, unbelieving, and then he blinked and looked down before returning his gaze with a smile.</p><p>"Well, get on it, Pretty Boy." Leslie said, "Because, I'm falling fast here..."</p><p>Cloud stared into Leslie's electric yellow eyes and grinned.</p><p>"It would be nice to have a co-pilot in this free fall, ya know." Leslie said.</p><p>"You do," Cloud said as he moved forward to kiss him.</p>
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